Walking in the Belgian Provence

Torgny, and thus the rest of the province of Luxembourg, was officially added to Belgium in 1839 by the Treaty of the 24 Articles, also known as the ‘Treaty of London’. The Peace of the Pyrenees, signed in 1659 by Philip IV and Louis XIV after the Thirty Years' War, ended the French-Spanish conflicts and established the Chiers River as the border between the two kingdoms. This river was already recognized in 943 as the oldest border of France, determined in a treaty between the German Emperor Otto I the Great and the French King Louis IV. In all the villages of Gaume, the villagers have a nickname that underscores their character. That of Torgny dates back to the reign of Louis XIV. To assert his authority, he had the weir in the Chiers closed to the locals. In response, the women of Torgny angrily went to the left bank of the river to convince their French neighbors of their discontent. They would give them a good slap (‘torgnole’)... Since then, the inhabitants of Torgny have been called ‘Torgnolais’ and ‘Torgnolaises’. The village, along with its neighbors Dampicourt, Harnoncourt, and Lamorteau, is part of the municipality of Rouvroy. The walk through this most beautiful village in Wallonia stops at its historical landmarks and immerses you in the rich history of the town that also captivated De Ferraris.